The present invention relates to a device for preventing damage to a fishing fly hackle, and more particularly to a device which protects a fishing fly hackle against being crushed while an associated fly rod is being moved to another location.
A fishing fly comprises a hook on which is mounted a hackle, typically a tuft of feathers tied onto the hook. It is usually desirable to immobilize the hook when moving the rod to another location in order to avoid inadvertent snagging or hooking of objects or people. One method of immobilizing the hook is to engage it with a portion of the rod or a protrusion on the rod. Following such engagement, tension is applied to the line to one end of which the fly is tied to anchor the hook to maintain the hook-protrusion engagement. This tension is effected by operating a reel to which the other end of the line is connected. Such operation of the reel, which is typically mounted on or near a handle of the rod, tightens the line, which passes from the reel to the end of the rod remote from the reel, and then passes backwardly toward the handle.
The foregoing "storage" of a fly and immobilization of its hook can lead to the hackle of the fly being crushed and otherwise damaged by its contact with the rod. If a protruding member on the rod is provided which is sufficiently far from the rod to avoid the hackle contacting the rod, the protrusion may interfere with fly fishing, as by snagging the line during casting. If the protrusion is located closely enough to the rod to not interfere with casting, the hackle is likely to be crushed.
An object of the present invention is the avoidance of the above-described problems.